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Message no. 1
From: Joseph Casey CS91 <jcasey@**.STRATH.AC.UK>
Subject: Complexities of combat
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 17:32:13 +0000
OK. As a rookie GM I've had a few minor problems with
combat but since all the battles so far have been simple
firefights or hand-to-hand stuff they've been managable.
There is a decker in the team however who hasn't yet got
a shot at any Matrix combat mostly because I'm not
familiar with the rules.

So how exactly do you incorporate Matrix combat into a run
I'm what do all the other players do while their decker is
in the matrix...must there always be a coincidental gun
battle just the the team's decker jacks in to give all
the other players something to keep them occupied.

Advice please from any who have run matrix scenarios or
conducted matrix combat while rest of team is otherwise
engaged.
thanks,
Jo.
Message no. 2
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Complexities of combat
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 12:39:55 +0930
Once upon a time, Joseph Casey CS91 wrote:
>
> OK. As a rookie GM I've had a few minor problems with
> combat but since all the battles so far have been simple
> firefights or hand-to-hand stuff they've been managable.
> There is a decker in the team however who hasn't yet got
> a shot at any Matrix combat mostly because I'm not
> familiar with the rules.
>
> So how exactly do you incorporate Matrix combat into a run
> I'm what do all the other players do while their decker is
> in the matrix...must there always be a coincidental gun
> battle just the the team's decker jacks in to give all
> the other players something to keep them occupied.
>
> Advice please from any who have run matrix scenarios or
> conducted matrix combat while rest of team is otherwise
> engaged.

Integrating matrix scenarios into a team run is probably the hardest thing
you can do to do it well. Magicians have a similar problem with Astral
space, but they can be run more simultaneously than matrix adventures.

The best way to handle a matrix scenario is to have it occur near the end
of a session, so that the other players can leave if they feel like while
you concentrate on this single character who needs a lot of the GM's time.
If you can't arrange this, maybe send the others out for refreshments or
something. If the decking isn't really important, use the Quick Resolution
rules from Virtual Realities.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
Message no. 3
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Complexities of combat
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 12:34:01 +0100
> So how exactly do you incorporate Matrix combat into a run
> I'm what do all the other players do while their decker is
> in the matrix...must there always be a coincidental gun
> battle just the the team's decker jacks in to give all
> the other players something to keep them occupied.

That's forever a problem; the same thing goes for astral quests performed by
magician characters: one player is occupied (two, if you've got two deckers
doing a run together), and the rest is bored. I don't think this is easy to
solve, but some suggestions from the past:

- send the others out to do something else (getting something to eat, for
instance)
- have a second GM handle the decking bit
- switch back and forth between players: play a few turns with the decker,
then with the others, back to the decker, and so on
- play a session with only the decker


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Oooh! Smells like a job for ... TOILETMAN!!
Geek Code v2.1: GS/AT/! -d+ H s:- !g p?(3) !au a>? w+(+++) v*(---) C+(++) U
P? !L !3 E? N++ K- W+ -po+(po) Y+ t(+) 5 !j R+(++)>+++$ tv+(++) b+@ D+(++)
B? e+ u+@ h! f--(?) !r(--)(*) n---->!n y?
Message no. 4
From: Luc <rjwate01@********.SPD.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
Subject: Re: Complexities of combat
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 08:43:24 EST
> There is a decker in the team however who hasn't yet got
> a shot at any Matrix combat mostly because I'm not
> familiar with the rules.
>
> So how exactly do you incorporate Matrix combat into a run
> I'm what do all the other players do while their decker is
> in the matrix...must there always be a coincidental gun
> battle just the the team's decker jacks in to give all
> the other players something to keep them occupied.
>
that is one way another (if possible) is till wait until the session is over
and run a solo decking adventure with the decker.
Another way would be to run the decker through a couple matrix runs before
the session begins.
the best way to do it would be for you and the decker player to learn the
rules till implimenting the is natural (like riding a bike) so that matrix
runs will be short. To do this you and the decker will just have to keep
doing runs on matrixes you designed (low level) that do not affect the actual
game.

Luc

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